The skin is the largest organ of the human body. It is soft, to allow movement, but still tough enough to resist breaking or tearing. It varies in texture and thickness from one part of the body to the next. For instance, the skin on our lips and eyelids is very thin and delicate, while the skin on the soles of our feet is thicker and harder.

Our skin is a good indicator of our general health. If someone is sick, it often shows in their skin.

Functions of the skin

Skin is one of our most versatile organs. Some of the different functions of skin include:
A waterproof wrapping for our entire body
The first line of defence against bacteria and other organisms
A cooling system via sweat
A sense organ that gives us information about pain, pleasure, temperature and pressure.

The epidermis

The skin you can see is called the epidermis. This protects the more delicate inner layers. The epidermis is made up of several ‘sheets’ of cells. The bottom sheet is where new epidermal cells are made. As old, dead skin cells are sloughed off the surface, new ones are pushed up to replace them. The epidermis also contains melanin, the pigment that gives skin its colour.

The dermis

Under the epidermis is the dermis. This is made up of elastic fibres (elastin) for suppleness and protein fibres (collagen) for strength. The dermis contains sweat glands, sebaceous glands, hair follicles, blood vessels and nerves.

The subcutis

The subcutis is a layer of fat that sits immediately under the dermis. It provides thermal insulation and mechanical protection. It gives smoothness and contour to our body. Adipose fat stored in the subcutis is a source of energy.

Glands and blood vessels in the skin

The dermis is well supplied with blood vessels. In hot weather or after exercise, these blood vessels expand, bringing body heat to the skin surface. Perspiration floods out of sweat glands and evaporates from the skin, taking the heat along with it.

If the temperature is cold, these blood vessels in the dermis contract, which helps to cut down on heat loss. Sebaceous glands in the dermis secrete sebum to lubricate the skin.

Hair and nails and the skin

Hair and nails are manufactured by cells in the epidermis. Our lack of a complete cover of body hair makes human skin very different from the skin of any other animal. Hair is made up of a protein called keratin. The amount of hair on our body varies from place to place.

Hairless sites include the lips, palms and soles of the feet. The hairiest sites include the scalp, pubis and underarms in both sexes and the face and chest in men. Nails are made from skin cells, but the only live parts are the nail bed and the nail matrix underneath the cuticle. The nail itself is made of dead cells.

Nerves in the skin

Both the dermis and epidermis have nerve endings. These carry information about temperature, sensation (pleasure or pain) and pressure. Some areas have more of these nerves than others, such as the fingertips.

Common skin problems

Some common skin problems include:
Acne – caused by hormones
Dermatitis – inflammation of the skin, with many different triggers
Fungal infections – such as tinea (athlete’s foot)
Skin cancer – from long-term exposure to the sun’s UV (ultraviolet) rays
Sunburn – a radiation burn from the sun’s UV rays
Warts – caused by a virus.[1]

We use various naturopathic principles to treat the cause and look for the disharmony in your body and mind to bring your body back to balance. Please see below a brief treatment (Rx) protocol and reference guide, with choices to help improve your health and wellbeing. Click on the headings and links within for more treatment information.

Stress may be a contributing factor to skin conditions. Flower essences are beneficial and Rescue Remedy and First Rescue drops or cream may alleviate discomfort.

Calendula cream and or Traumeel Cream are healing for most skin conditions.

If you have been prescribed cortisone cream or taking steroids please consult with your doctor and aim to improve your skin naturally with naturopathic treatment protocols that have no side effects. It is always important to treat the cause. Let me help guide you to wellness and achieve healthy skin – inside and out, holistically.

For dramatic results, we offer a 6 week Pre Wedding and Special Event Package to fast track your ‘Beautiful Skin' results.

If you are experiencing these conditions, I can guide you into wellness – BOOK NOW for a Naturopathic Consultation.

Tissue Salt Rx

If you truly love nature, you will find beauty everywhere.

Vincent Van Gogh

These tissue salts below singular or in combination may help with this condition.

Indications

Acne, pimples, pustular eruptions, herpes, Whitlow, eczema, an eruption of the scalp, seborrhea, psoriasis, ringworm, rash and sycotic excrescences. Also indicated in postoperative adhesions.

Calc Fluor:
Skin cracked and fissured, inflammation of scar tissues and keloid formation. For thick tough, cracked skin.

Psoriasis:– For thick, tough, cracked skin.

Stretch Marks:– tissue salt to improve elasticity.

Cal Phos:
Psoriasis:-For red, itchy skin.

Calc Sulph:
Inflammation and septic condition of the skin. Discharge: Pus with blood. If discharge continues too long.

Abscess: If discharge continues too long.

Wound Healing: For those wounds which are filled with pus.

Burns: For burns that appear infected or if healing is slow.

Ferr Phos:
For the first stage of cuts, bruises fall and sprains.

Abscess: Redness, heat, pain and throbbing.

Burns: the First remedy to give for burns.

Kali Mur:
Wound Healing: – Give for swellings.

Abscess: – For swelling, alternate with Ferr Phos throughout the day.

Bites & Stings: – Follows Nat Mur for subsequent swelling.

Burns: For deep burns and blisters, alternate this remedy with Ferr Phos at 15-minute intervals and gradually increase the time span between remedies.

Eczema: – Skin has white, dry scales.

Kali Phos:
Abscess: – If the discharge is putrid and foul smelling.

Bites & Stings: – If antiseptic is needed.

Eczema: – Good for nervous children, skin is raw and sore.

Hives: = caused by food.

Psoriasis:– For the nervous child.

Kali Sulph:
Prevents: drying, thickening, keratinisation and scales and scabs formation of skin.

Eczema: Discharge is yellow-looking

Psoriasis:– For peeling skin.

These can be combined favourably and taken daily for at least three weeks, stop for one week, and repeat if necessary.

Nat Mur:
Itching

Allergic manifestation

Fungal infections

Bites & Stings: the First remedy for bites and stings, relieves pain, can be used internally or externally.

Eczema: Watery eruptions worse in folds such as elbows and knees; skin is itchy, dry and cracked.

Hives: caused by insect bites.

Nappy Rash: For chafed skin.

Nat Phos:
Hives:– that appear when worms are suspected.

Nappy Rash:– counteracts too much acidity.

EXTERNAL: – Cell salts can be applied locally to the hives by crushing 3-4 tablets and mixing with half a cup of water.

Nat Sulph:
Skin manifestation after metabolic disorders, diabetes, rheumatism

Silica:
Abscess: – After swelling softens and pus begins to form.

Homoeopathy Rx

Natural forces within us are the true healers of disease.

Hippocrates

Indication

Below is a quick reference guide for low potency (1x – 30C) homoeopathic remedies safe for home prescribing. Make an appointment for a professional consultation and prescription for more information.

Argentum Nitricum:
When the skin is blotchy. Dry sensitive skin.

Arnica montana:
For bruising of the skin that results from falls, injury or trauma. Arnica is used to remove the shock effect of burns and can be taken with other remedies for burns (Cantharis, Causticum, Hepar Sulph, Kali bichromicum, Urtica urens)

Arnica montana can be given every two to three minutes to help ease the pain and take away shock. As symptoms ease spread the treatment to every two hours. Arnica will bring the bruising out and the skin will be discoloured, but the deep trauma will be released and the pain diminished.

Belladonna:
First stages of an outbreak of acne, boils or eruptions when the area or individual spot is red, swollen sensitive and hot. There may be pustules. Acne Rosacea. Sunburn – when the skin is red, hot and throbbing, and where the patient has no apparent thirst.

Abscesses – when irritation is accompanied by redness and throbbing pain.

Acne – for people with red faces.

Calcarea carbonica:
When the skin feels better when scratched. Dry and sensitive skin.

Calcarea sulphurica:
When the area won't heal and continues to suppurate long after it should have healed.

Cantharis vesicatoria:
To be taken every two minutes for the relief of burns. Catharsis can stop blistering if taken in time. Sunburn – after a day in the sun when the patient has been highly exposed to the sun's rays.

Causticum:
For painful scars and to help them to heal. Burns.

Blisters – use morning and evening to reduce the intake as symptoms decrease. Do not burst blisters as this may cause infection.

 

Cuprum metallicum:
For use with sunburn/burns if sweating and cramping occur.

Graphites:
For oozing crusty types of skin irritation. When the skin is cracked and there is weeping eczema. Skin, thick, dry and unhealthy especially bends of limbs, creases, face, scalp and fingertips. Skin cracks, itches bleeds and oozes sticky honey-like discharge. Thick, dry, sensitive skin.

Hepar sulphuricum:
Boils, abscesses, acne and suppurating sores. Red, painful pustules which may b slow to come to a head. Indicated when infection occurs easily from little cause. Unhealthy skin, which is very painful and sensitive to touch. For burns that have not been kept clean and have become infected.

Abscesses – when there is pus and the skin is sensitive to touch.

Acne – where many pustules are present.

Hypericum perforatum:
For bruising to toes, fingers and nerve endings.

Abscesses -When the skin is tense and painful.

Kali bichromicum:
For complementary treatment of serious second-degree burns.

Natrum muriaticum:
Dry flaky skin and dry hair which falls out easily. Eczema along the hairline and in the bends of joints.

Mercurius solubilis**:
When the skin itches and is worse when hot. Dry and sensitive skin. Eczema.

Abscesses -For mouth abscesses.

Mezerium**:
For painful small bumpy eczema that is not found on the face.

Petroleum:
Cracked skin – dry, red, rough and split. Corners of the mouth, hands and feet. Eczema.

Pulsatilla:
Acne – for people with fair complexions.

Rhus toxicondendron:
Vesicles and blisters. Restless and very itchy. Prickly heat, shingles and chicken pox.

Ruta graveolens:
For bruised feelings after injuring – bruised skin. General bruised feeling to the bones and tendons.

Silica:
Cracks on fingertips, worse in cold weather. Unhealthy skin with poor healing. Helps resolution after a boil, pimple, splinter or suppurating wound has discharged.

Abscesses – after discharge of pus, use three times a day for three days as a cleanser.

Acne – When the skin becomes scarred from pustules.

Sulphur:
Unhealthy looking skin. For when the skin itches and begins to burn. Skin is irritated with cracked skin. Excellent for nappy rash when the child is hot and irritable. Dry and sensitive skin.Eczema.

Skin dry, red and itching. Unhealthy skin which breaks out festers and won't heal. Worse from heat, hot water and warmth of the bed. Prickly heat and nappy rash.

Cradle cap: – for a scruffy, oily skin and scalp. The child is hot-tempered and hot skinned.

Acne – in cases that resist conventional treatment of any kind.

Thuja occidentalis:
Nappy Rash: – this remedy is better suited to quiet, calm children who suffer from skin irritations.

Cradle Cap: – for skin infections in a cooler calmer child.

Urtica urens:
For the stinging pain of burns.

Nutritional Medicine Rx

Health is much more dependent on our Habits and Nutrition Than on Medicine.

John Lubbock

Use Food as Medicine! Nourish your body and mind with fresh seasonal, whole foods. Clean unprocessed & unadulterated foods like nature intended. Support a back to the basic natural approach to eating. Visit your local farmer markets and buy organic produce where possible. Go vegetable crazy! Love your greens.

Food Sensitivity Testing is an easy way to take the guess work out of what may be contributing to you feeling unwell, suffering digestive problems, inflammation, bloating, skin conditions, asthma etc. A whole food natural diet is excellent to follow but what some people don’t realise is one man's food can be another man’s poison. Give your digestive tract a break and feed your body with food that heals. A stressed and inflamed digestive tract (gut) suffering dysbiosis needs help to build up a good microbiome balance. It is not only important for your ability to absorb and utilise nutrients but your gut health and immune system are inextricably linked. Seventy to eighty percent of your immune tissue is located within your digestive system and ninety percent of serotonin is made in the digestive tract. Serotonin is a key player in mood, anxiety, fear, and the general sense of happiness and wellbeing.

The intestinal microbiota (gut flora) helps in proper development of the host immune system, which in turn regulates the homeostasis of the microbiota. Good nutrition promoting good gut health microbiome promotes a healthy immune system.

The gastrointestinal tract is also sensitive to emotion. A troubled intestine can send signals to the brain, just as a troubled brain can send signals to the gut. Therefore, a person's stomach or intestinal distress can be the cause or the product of anxiety, stress, or depression.

Don’t diet! Listen to your body. Eat mindfully in a relaxed environment and choose quality, not quantity. Enjoy fuelling your body and treating it well.

Flower Essence Rx

Healing with the clean, pure, beautiful agents of nature is surely the one method of all which appeals to most of us.

Dr Edward Bach
Listed below are some of the flower essence remedy ranges that we utilised to improve ‘Your Style of Life’ and help you treat various conditions.
  • Bach Flower Essences
  • Australian Flower Essences
  • Futurplex

Lifestyle Medicine Rx

To live is the rarest thing in the world.Most people just exist.

Oscar Wilde

Exercise and Fitness Management:

Select an exercise activity or sport you enjoy. Choose something that works for you and aim for the 80/20 % approach and always listen to your body.
  • Walking is a wonderful activity for all ages, shapes and sizes.
  • Build up slowly but aim for 10,000 steps a day.
  • I recommend investing in a motivational health monitor like ‘Fitbit’ and or an app like ‘MyFitnessPal’ to motivate you to have a go and strive to improve your fitness and maintain a healthy weight.

Hydration:

Aim for 2 – 4 litres of clean, filtered water a day. One of the easiest ways to improve your health is to stay hydrated as your body is made up of 60% water and it needed by every cell of the body. Sugar, Salt and Coffee is dehydrating for the body. Often if you feel thirsty this is an early sign of dehydration. Make it a habit and drink throughout the day. Benefits include:
  • Natural Detox – a naturally hydrated body purges the cells, eliminating stored toxins and bodily wastes.
  • Digestion and Elimination – eliminates constipation, boating and helps improve general digestive disorders.
  • Speeds Metabolism and helps with weight loss.
  • Combats Fatigue – water is an important source of energy for your body.
  • Reduces High Blood Pressure and Lowers Cholesterol.
  • Speeds up Joint and Cartilage repair.
  • Skin Health – improves Acne, Dermatitis, Eczema, Psoriasis and Premature Skin Ageing.
  • Slows the Ageing Process.

Sleep Hygiene:

  • Aim for 7 – 8 hours quality sleep.
  • Turn off all electronic devices and avoid technology and hour before bed as this allows your brain to switch off and make it easier to fall asleep.
  • Keep your bedroom just for sleeping & loving. Fresh Air – open a window. Light can make or break a good sleep cycle. Darken your room as much as possible.
  • Don’t eat late in the night. Avoid caffeine and stimulants.
  • Set your alarm to get to bed and wake at the same time every day.
  • Night Cap: – Drink a warm lemon drink, herbal green tea or Golden Milk (Almond & Coconut Milk with beneficial spices) – “Turmeric Latte”, before bed.
  • Create a nice environment with indoor plants, aromatherapy diffuser, soft relaxing music and anything that helps you promote a routine to wind yourself down to get much-needed sleep.

Fun:

Life is about balance and taking time out to play and enjoy activities you like with friends and family as it has a huge benefit on your health. Laughter is the best Medicine. Having fun and enjoying activities that you like has the benefit of reducing stress and lowering the hormone cortisol. Cortisol is known as the “stress hormone” and spikes to unhealthy levels when you are continually stressed with one of the side effects being weight gain. Having fun increases serotonin, which is the hormone that regulates sleep patterns, body temperature, memory and mood. When you do activities you enjoy, that help you to relax and connect with people the body will naturally increase serotonin levels. Research has proven that making time to relax, engaging in activities you enjoy, spending time with people that make you happy improves positive emotional, mental health and overall wellbeing.

Conditions We Treat

Share on facebook
Share on Facebook
Share on twitter
Share on Twitter
Share on pinterest
Share on Pinterest
Share on whatsapp
Share on WhatsApp